Mahi-handmng machine



Oct. 22, 1929.

L. J. ZAHN ET AL MAIL HANDLING MACHINE Filed March 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEY Oct. 22, 1929. ZAHN ET AL I 1,732,426

MAI; HANDLING MACHINE Filed uarcn'ls, 1928 3 sheats-sheet 2 INVENTGRS 33 ATTORN E? Oct. 22, 1-929. L. J. ZAHN ET AL HAIL HANDLING MACHINE Filed March 13, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTORS Lawrence :2 Za/m it/club! .ik/lragdar B Y Q ATTOR N EY Patented Ctct. Z2,

UNITE ST LAVFRENCE J. ZAHN, OF LONG ISLAIL'EU CILETY, AN?) hflELCIi-HOR SUI-IROEDER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORS 'l O INTERhl'A'lJIUHAL BROOKLYN, NEW YORK SUPPLY CUMPANY, OIL

MAIL-HANDLING IMLACHHEY' Application filed March 13, 1928.

This invention relates to improvements in a mail handling machine and in order to illustrate our invention, we have chosen to show it in a stamp canceling machine, wherein the 5 nail matter is placed on a feed table and by means of a separator roller is moved forward piece by piece through suitable feed rollers and between a printing die and a pressure roller which action causes the die to cancel the 'xtamp or print other indicia on the mail matter passed through the machine.

In the particular type of machine which we have chosen to illustrate our invention, the machine is hand-operated and such a machine is adapted for use in small post-oflices. In the larger post oflices, the machine is operated by an electric motor.

It is an object of our invention to provide a new form of feed table for a mail handling 'nachine, wherein the table may be constructed of any desired width by the use of similar parts. Another object of our invention is to provide an improved form of table which will materially lighten the weight of the entire machine. This is especially advantageous in the small hand-operated machine which is more or less portable in character.

Another object of our invention is to provide improved means for feeding the mail tnatter forward to the separator roller. A still further object of our invention is to provide a table construction which will not only be lighter but cheaper to manufacture. These and other objects will be clear to one skilled in this particular art after a study of the specification and the drawings comprising a part thereof. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of machine which we have taken to illustrate the application of our improvement.

Figure 2 is a plan view. of the machine shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view of the end of the table with certain parts removed to show the improved. form of feed roller.

Figure 4 is a section on the line i i of Fig;- ures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a side elevation of one of the table members or strips.

Eerie] No. 261,234.

Figure 6 is a section on, the line 66 of Figure 3.

Referringnew to the details wherein like numerals refer to corresponding parts in the various views;

1 is the base of the machine having a frame work 2 and a hand-wheel 3 supported on a shaft 4:. The food table generally referred to by the numeral 5 has a feed roller 6 for feed ing the mail matter fort .tlCl to the large feed roller 19 and separator roller 7, which operates in a reverse direction through a slot in a guard 8. The position of the separator roller 7 is adjusted by means of an adjusting nut 9.

After the mail matter leaves the feed roller 19 and the separator roller 7, it moves forward to the usual trip feed rollers 10 and 11 where it strikes the trip lever 12, and this in turn operates a stop arm 18, carrying a stop roller 14. The stop roller 14 engages a cooperating roller 16 on a portion the die structure 17. fhe die shaft 18 is provided with suitable bearings, one of which is carried in a trip post 20.

Associated with the die is an ink roller 21 carried by an adjustable bracket 22. Positi oned adjacent the die for cooperation therewith, is a pressure roller 23, the surface of which is usu ally of soft rbher for the purpose of making good frictional. contact with the mail matter and cooperating with the die to make the imprint on the piece of mail matter passing between the two. No further description of this part of he machine seems to be necessary, but if such is desired, it may be found in Jahn Patent 856,345, issued June 11, 1907.

The machine carries a stacker 24: for receiving the letters after they have been stamped by the die as described.

Our improvement resides in the form of feed table used and in the improved method of feeding the mail matter forward to the large feed roller'19 and the separator roller 7. Heretofore, it has been the usual practice to construct the feed table of a one-piece casting, usually of cast iron, which must be machined at least on one surface to provide a smooth table and such a table is relatively heavy and expensive to manufacture. Where any parts can be made from punchings, the process is cheaper, the part lighter, and usually stronger; and we therefore build up our improved form of table by using separate punchings which are considerably elongated in length, but are relatively thin as compared with the length.

The members 25 are provided with a means for mounting them on part of the frame work of the machine and such means is shown as a hole 26, which is adapted to receive or fit over a stud 27 carried on a bracket 28 comprising part of the frame work of the machine. Spacing collars 29 are provided to hold the members or strips 25 in spaced relationship. The members 25 are provided with at least one straight edge 30, and to insure that the edges 30 of all of the strips 25 are substantially in the same plane so as to provide a table surface, a second stud 31 attached to the frame member is adapted to pass through the holes 32 in the outer extremity of the members 25 and spacing collars 33 are preferably used with the stud 31, so as to hold the strips 25 in parallel relationship.

Positioned between two of the strips 25 and pivoted on the stud 27, is a lever 34 made up of two side'pieces 35 and 36 held together at one end by a collar 37, and between the opposite ends of the side pieces 35 and 36 there is positioned the feed roller 6.

The feed roller 6 is operated by the large feed roller 19 engaging an idler 38 carried on an arm 39 and resiliently held in contact with'the large feed roller 19 and the feed roller 6 by a spring 40. The arm 39 is provided with a slot 41, so that the idler 38 automatically adjusts itself to a correct driving position. An adjustment of the lever 34 is provided by an adjusting screw 42 passing through the collar 37 and is locked in adjusted position by means of nuts 43.

The screw 42 is pivotally mounted to a short strip 15 which is carried on the stud 27 similarly and in spaced relation with the members 25. Associated with the table, is a side plate 44 to keep the mail matter in position on the table.

In a machine of this type, the mail matter which may bein the form of letters, is placed on the table built up in the manner described, so that the letters lie flat-wise on the table with their long dimension in the longitudinal direction of the table and against the side plate 44. By adjusting the feed roller 6 by the means described, this roller engages the mail matter and moves it forward to the large feed roller 19 and separator roller 7, previously described.

By punching the members 25 out of sheet stock, preferably of sheet steel, and by using as many as are required, we can build up a table of any desired width very quickly and with a minimum amount of machine work,

and the machine is lightened considerably by using the punched table members in place of a. solid casting.

Having thus described our invent-ion, what we claim is:

1. In a mail handling machine, a feed table comprising a plurality of punched members having considerable length as compared to their thickness, a stud supported on the frame work of the machine for carrying said members in edgewise position, bushings on said stud for holding said members in spaced relationship and means for preventing said members from turning about said stud.

2. In a mail handling machine, a feed table comprising a plurality of punched members having considerable length as compared to their thickness, a stud supported on the frame work of the machine for carrying said members in edgewise position, bushings on said stud for holding said members in spaced relationship and an auxiliary stud carried by the frame and passing through the outer extremities of said members.

3. In a mail handling machine, means for building up a feed table of any desired width consisting of; a stud fastened to the frame work of the machine and a plurality of similarly constructed narrow but elongated members mounted on said stud, spacingcollars on said stud to hold said members in spaced relationship and a second stud carried by the frame work and passing through said members for the purpose describd.

4. In a mail handling machine, means for building up a feed table of any desired width consisting of; a stud fastened to the frame work of the machine, a plurality of punched strips having at least one straight edge and a hole for mounting said strips edgewise on said stud, means for holding said strips in spaced relationship and a second stud carried by the frame work and passing through the outer ends of said strips to insure that the said straight edges thereof are held substantially in the same plane.

5. In a mail handling machine, a feed table constructed of a plurality of elongated members having at least one straight edge arranged and held in spaced relationship so the straight edges form a table, a feed roller positioned between a pair of said spaced members and means for adjusting the periphery of said roller with respect to the plane of the feed table.

6. In a mail handling machine, a feed table composed of; a plurality of punched strips having at least one straight edge, a stud carried by the frame work of the machine for supporting said strips in edgewise position, means for holding said strips in spaced relation on the stud, means for insuring that the straight edges of the strips are held substantially in the same plane to form a table surface, a lever mounted on said stud between V ios iis

two of said strips, a feed roller carried by said lever, means for adjusting the periphery of the roller with respect to the plane of the table, and means for driving the feed roller in the proper direction.

7. [n a mail handling machine, a feed talole u constructed of a plurality of elongated memhers having at least one straight edge arranged and held in spaced relationship so the straight edges form a table, a separator roller, a feed roller arranged in cooperation with the separator roller, a second feed roller positioned in the table ahead of the first mentioned feed roller means for adjusting the position of said second feed roller With respect to the plane of the table top, and an idler roller automatically adjustably posi: ti'oned between said two feed rollers for driving the second roller in the proper direc tion.

In testimony whereof, We afiix our signatures.

LAWRENCE J. ZAHN. MELCHIOR SCHROEDER. 

